THIS WEEKEND’S GAMEThe Dartmouth women’s basketball team opens up Ivy League play with rival Harvard on Saturday in Cambridge.

SCOUTING THE CRIMSONHarvard enters the weekend with the best record in the Ancient Eight with 11 wins and one loss. The Crimson’s lone loss came on the first game of the season at Minnesota and since then Harvard has won 11 straight. Freshman Katie Benzan currently leads the team with 12.8 points per game and is first in the Ivy League, shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc. Senior Destiny Nunley also contributes 12.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

LAST TIME AGAINST HARVARDOn January 23, 2016, Kate Letkewicz scored a career-high 26 points to help the Big Green take down Harvard on the road, 70-64, for its first Ivy League victory of the season. Letkewicz also finished the night with 17 rebounds for her third career double-double. The Waterloo, Iowa native shot 9 for 17 from the field and went 3 for 5 from beyond the arc. As a team Dartmouth shot 49 percent from the floor. Senior Lakin Roland continued her stellar season with 18 points and 11 rebounds going 5 of 6 from three-point range for her third double-double of the season. For the first time this season, the Big Green outscored its opponents in three quarters. After a solid first half, Dartmouth took a 34-24 lead into the locker room at the break en route to the win.

LAST TIME OUTLast Saturday, the Big Green concluded the 2016 calendar year with a 64-47 loss to Granite State rival New Hampshire, in Durham. In the final nonconference game of the regular season, Dartmouth did not get the result it hoped for before the start of conference play next weekend at Harvard. Sophomore Ice Quinones had another solid performance for the Big Green with 14 points and seven rebounds. Dartmouth’s bench contributed 14 points as six members of the Big Green saw time on the floor in relief.

NOT COLD AS ICEQuiñones has performed well for Dartmouth in her new role as a starter. The 6-3 forward has started all 13 games this season and has recorded three double doubles, most recently scoring 10 points and with 13 rebounds in the Big Green’s OT win over Albany. She averages 9.1 points and 6.6 boards per game.

REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKSThe Big Green’s lone senior, Szabo has been climbing on some of Dartmouth’s all-time records lists. With 1,125 career points, Szabo is in sole possession of 14th in the all-time scoring category. She is also sixth in both three-point field goals made and attempted. Letkewicz has also risen to ninth in three-point field goals, making 93 career shots from beyond the arc.

FINISHING STRONGDespite facing some trouble in the first quarter of games this season, the Big Green have averaged 15.6 points in the fourth quarter compared to their opponents 13.7. Dartmouth also holds a slight edge in the second quarter of games in the 2016-17 campaign.

LIVE FROM LEEDEFor the first time in recent years, Big Green basketball returns to the airwaves as each home game will be broadcast live on KOOL FM 93.9/96.3. Brett Franklin will serve as the team’s play-by-play broadcaster with Jill Glessner on color commentary.

PATH TO THE PALESTRAThe inaugural Ivy League men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will take place Saturday and Sunday, March 11-12, 2017, at the Palestra in Philadelphia. The top four teams will earn berths in the tournament, with the semifinals on Saturday and the championships on Sunday. All six games will be broadcast live on ESPN’s networks.

FOLLOW ALONGCan’t make it to the game? Saturday’s contest will be streamed live in HD on the Ivy League Digital Network for subscribers. DartmouthSports.com will provide a live stats link for both games and fans are also encouraged to follow the team’s official Twitter account @DartmouthWBB for live in-game updates.

LOOKING AHEADThe Big Green return home on Jan. 21 to conclude their season series with the Crimson in Leede Arena at 6 p.m.